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“He’s finally getting noticed, Quinn. Do you understand that? Do you know how hard it is to establish yourself in this league?”

"Of course I do."

“No. You know what Wyatt tells you. I know what happens in those rooms. I know what general managers say when cameras aren’t around. I know what agents worry about. I know how quickly a kid goes from promising young player to distraction.”

"What are you saying?"

"I’m saying the cleanest solution for the organization might be moving him. But if this becomes enough of a problem that the organization decides it doesn't want the distraction anymore, what do you think happens?"

"He goes somewhere else."

"Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe?"

"I mean another team has to want him first."

"He's good."

"I know he's good. But there are a lot of good players fighting for NHL contracts, and most of them don't come with reporters questioning every minute they earned because they were sleeping with their coach's daughter."

My stomach twists. "That's not fair."

"No, it's not. But that doesn't make it impossible."

"He'd get picked up somewhere."

“Would he?” Dad’s voice stays frustratingly calm. “Maybe. Maybe another GM looks at his numbers and decides he’s worth it. Or maybe they look at a twenty-four-year-old who hasn’t proven himself yet, see the media circus involving his coach’s daughter, and decide there are ten other guys they could sign without bringing any of that into their locker room.”

I shake my head. "You're trying to make this sound worse than it is."

"I'm trying to make you understand what worse actually looks like."

I don't answer.

"The worst-case scenario isn't Wyatt getting traded across the country, Quinn. It's LA deciding he's become more trouble than he's worth and nobody else being willing to take the chance on him."

My throat tightens.

"He could have nowhere to go." Dad lets the words sit there.

I hate him for it.

"He gets a say."

"Of course he does."

"And he chose me."

"I know."

"Then why are you acting like I have to choose for him?"

Dad looks at me for a long moment. "Because right now, Wyatt's in love with you. He'll tell you none of it matters as much as you do. But how will he feel in a few years? Resentment builds over time. And if you two split up, he will have given up his one real opportunity. For what?"

Tears spring to my eyes at his words.

My mind goes completely blank, leaving me with no idea what to think.